Chapter 1: Josephine
My eyes snapped open with a start, my breathing heavy in my chest as I gasped for air. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog from my vision. I looked around the room and realized where I was at. The hotel. I was in my hotel room in Rhode Island.
I groaned and flipped around in bed, smashing my face into the pillow to muffle my frustrations. Even against the darkness of the room and the softness of the pillow, those piercing blue eyes remained. The same eyes that have been plaguing my dreams for months. I never saw a face or a body, he never spoke, but I knew those eyes belonged to a man who was made just for me.
I rolled off the side of the bed and stumbled across the room, cursing when my toes made contact with the dresser. I got in late last night after driving up from New York City and didn’t take the time to familiarize myself with the hotel room before passing out in the large bed.
I fumbled for the lightswitch and groaned at the brightness. I checked my phone and immediately regretted it. 2 messages and a missed call from my brother. I hadn’t told him about my plan to come back to Rhode Island but, in the same way he always does, he already knew.
I dropped my phone and went for my suitcase. I had 2 hours before my interview at the local hospital. I have to admit, I was overly cocky going into this interview. I was a New York City doctor applying for an emergency department position in the appropriately named town of Little Compton. I shouldn’t be here. I was in line to be the youngest department head in NYU history and I was giving that away for a pair of dashing blue eyes.
But, it was so much more than that.
I shimmied into a pair of tight fitting gray slacks and tugged on a navy blue blouse with a pattern of tiny maroon flowers. I used the attached bathroom to brush my teeth and fix up my hair. I had a horrible case of bedhead, evidence of my restless sleeping habits. I yanked a comb through my red curls, spritzing on a detangler and praying they decided to cooperate today without the use of my curler. I tucked my bangs behind my ears and admired my reflection. I wiggled my nose, making the freckles that stamped my cheeks do a little dance. Satisfied with the results, I flicked off the bathroom lights and went back to the desk for my shoes.
I stepped into a pair of dressy navy sneakers and grabbed my maroon blazer from the back of the desk chair. Zipping up my suitcase, I did a double check of the room to make sure I didn’t forget anything from my brief stay. I checked out with the front desk and fetched my car from the parking lot.
A man with dirty blonde hair drove my small SUV up to the front door and held open the door for me. I smiled thanks and slid a tip in his hands. The man tightened his grip on my fingers before I could pull back and he bent down, sniffing my neck. I stiffened up and quickly yanked my hand away. He was shocked at my strength and my speed as I pushed past him and slammed my car door shut.
Goddess, I hated this town.
I drove to the coffee shop I knew was one block down from the hospital and parked alongside the road. When I opened the door to the shop, a little bell chimed above my head, announcing my entrance. Most of the patrons didn’t move, but a few glanced up at me with glares on their perfectly sculpted faces. I rolled my eyes and strolled towards the counter. I grumbled to myself about how everyone seemed so much more judgy than I remembered. But, I was a different person back then.
I ordered a vanilla latte and stood off to the side until my number was called. I decided a table outside would be a better option for me. I sat at one of the small iron tables that littered the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop and sipped my latte. I checked my watch, 1 hour until my interview. I was thinking about how I could waste some more time when something caught my attention. I turned my head towards the intersection in front of me. A shiny black car was turning left at the stop sign and I watched as it drove past where I was sitting. I stared as it kept going down the road.
I shook my head. Damn it. I violently pushed my chair back from the table, tossed my latte in the trash, and jumped in my car. I decided I would just kill some time at the hospital. Maybe they will take me early.
